Safety-envelop.



J. J. RYAN.

SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l2. 1916.

m. l Patented July 10, 1917.

FQQ

SAFETY-ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed April 12, 1916. Serial No. 90,639.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN J. RYAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bakersfield, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Envelops; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description 0f the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in safety envelops.

VThe object of the present invention is to improve the construction of safety envelops and to provide a simple, practical and efflcient envelop of inexpensive construction equipped with means for securely connecting the flaps of the envelop together and capable of effectually preventing an envelop from being opened and the contents thereof surreptitiously tampered with, without plainly disclosing the fact that the envelop is not in the co-ndition in which it was when it was sealed or closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety envelop of this character equipped with a metallic fastening` device having intcriorly arranged flap engaging or securing means adapted to be easily fastened or engaged with the flaps of the envelop after the envelop has been gummed or sealed so that it will be impossible to open the envelop without tearing the flaps away from the sealing device.

lt is also the object of the invention to provide an envelop fastener adapted to obviate the necessity of employing wax seals and presenting a smooth exterior adapted to bear a crest, initials or other device when desired.

Furthermore the invention has for its object to enable the fastening or sealing means of the envelop to be driven into engagement with the flaps of the said envelop by the blow of a hammer' or paper Weight or the like without liability of driving the flap engaging means into the letter or other contents of the envelop instead of through the flap.

YVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure l is a rear elevation of a safety envelop constructed in accordance with this invention and shown sealed,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the fastener before sealing or closing the engaging portions thereof against the flaps,

Fig. it is a detail view showing the flop engaging prongs in an intermedia-te position,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View illustrating the arrangement of the parts when the envelop is fastened,

Fig. G is a detail perspective view of the fastener,

Fig. 7 device.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the safety envelop comprises in its construction, a body portion 1 and top, bottom and end flaps 2, 3, and 4 having overlapping portions and provided with registering openings 5 preferably in the form of circular apertures and adapted to receive prongs 6 of a metallic fastener 7 The safety envelop is constructed approximately the same as an ordinary envelop in that the bottom and end flaps are secured together at their contiguous edges by adhesive material and the top flap is provided with adhesive material to enable it to be secured to the bottom and end flaps in the usual manner.

The fastening device 7 which is constructed of suitable metal consists of a disk or head 8 and the said prongs 6 which are connected to the under side of the disk or head 8 at points spaced from the center thereof and which are of a length to eX- tend from such point to approximately the periphery of the disk or head after the arms or prongs are bent into their engaging positione The prongs 6 which are designed to is a detail view of the clenching be constructed of pliable material are provided with spurs or projections J which are preferably pointed to enable them to readilyI pierce the flaps of the envelop and the head or disk 8 is provided at its periphery at diametrically opposite points with depending spurs or pointed projections 10 which are also adapted to pierce the flaps of the envelop.

After the envelopis gummed or closed and fastened with the adhesive material the metal fastener' is inserted in position with the prongs extending through the registering openings and the spurs or projections in position for piercing the overlapped flaps.

The prongs are upset against a clenching' device consisting Aof a thin blade 11 provided at one end with a suitable handle 12 and having a longitudinal rib located adjacent to the end of the blade and extending inwardly therefrom lin spaced relation with the side edges of the blade to leave a portion or fiange 13 at each of the rib which is provided with inclined side faces. The ends 11i of the longitudinal rib are beveled to enable the tension device to be introduced into the envelop through a slot 15 without tearing or otherwise injuring the contents of the envelop. The slot 15 may be arranged at one end of the envelop as shown or at either the top or bottom accordingly as the contents of the envelop are folded longitudinally or transversely, the slot or opening being designed to be located at a fold of the envelop so that the tension device will slide over the contents without being introduced between the leaves or sheets of the same. rIhe prongs are adapted to be clenched by a light blow of a hammer or paper weight and it will be clear that the fastener securely seals the envelop and obviates the necessity of employing ordinary sealing means.

In the operation of `the invention the clenching device is inserted in the envelop with the tapered or wedge shaped rib approximately in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing and the prongs are Copies of this patent may be obtained Afor ve cents each, by addressing the spread as indicated in Fig. 4. After the prongs have been operated on and spread by the tapered rib, the clenching device is moved inwardly so as to bring the fiat portion of the blade 11 beneath the partially bent prongs and the operation is then completed as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing, in which the blade is shown in position beneath the device after the fastener has been clenched by a light blow of a hammer or paper weight.

Vhat is claimed is 1. The combination with an Aenvelop having overlapped flaps, of a metallic fastener comprising a head provided at one of its faces with spaced projecting approximately L-shaped prongs consisting of shanks connected with the head at points between the center and marginal edge thereof, and terminal spurs extending outwardly from the prongs, said shanks being of a length less than the distance between the inner ends of the Shanks and the peripheral edge of the head to cause the spurs to be clenched against the said head when the prongs are spread.

2. The combination with an Ienvelop having overlapping flaps provided with registering openings, of a metallic fastener consisting of a head provided with inwardly extending peripheral spurs adapted to pierce the said flaps exteriorly of the envelop, and a pair of approximately L-shaped prongs connected with the head at opposite sides of the center thereof and extending inwardly through the registering openings of the said iaps and having their inner portions forming laterally projecting spurs which pierce the flaps interiorly of the envelop and are clenched against the inner face of the head.

In -testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. RYAN.

Witnesses:

O. R. KAMPRATT, B. C. JOHNSON.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

